I've just learned I am HER2+
Why your initial breast cancer therapy choice is important
Now that you know your tumor is HER2+ it's important to talk to your doctor right away about treatment. Whether you have early-stage breast cancer or metastatic breast cancer that has spread to other parts of your body, there are treatment options available. Most women with early-stage breast cancer will have surgery to get rid of as much of the cancer as possible. Following surgery, breast cancer treatment may also include the following treatment options:
- Radiation therapy: Treatment with high-energy rays aimed at the area around the tumor.
- Chemotherapy: A type of cancer treatment that kills cancer cells by interfering with the tumor cell's ability to grow and reproduce. Because chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the whole body, they can also affect healthy cells.
- Hormonal therapy: A drug that reduces the amount of estrogen in the body or blocks the effect of estrogen (estrogen causes some tumors to grow).
- Targeted therapy: A type of cancer treatment that targets only certain types of cell activities. Targeted therapies have different side effects than chemotherapy.
How doctors decide which breast cancer treatment regimen is right for you
When talking to your doctor about your treatment options, it is important to keep in mind that some drugs can be given along with other cancer treatments. The combination of drugs you receive and the order in which you receive them are known as your treatment "regimen." Treatment regimens are most effective when started as early as possible after surgery.
Based on the size and stage of your tumor, your individual risk factors (eg, age, family history), your symptoms and other treatments you may have already received, you and your doctor will be able to select the appropriate treatment regimen for you.
Since 2005, when HER connection launched, women have been recommending this program to others with HER2+ breast cancer. Click here to join HER connection now.
